Jana's Campaign teams with TMP football for Boys Into Men

11/6/2013

Special to The Hays Daily News

Jana's Campaign and Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior-Senior High School is well underway with implementation of Coaching Boys into Men for TMP's junior and high school football teams, under lead direction of coach John Montgomery.

BIM, developed nationally by Futures Without Violence, aims to inspire men to teach boys the importance of respecting women and that violence never equals strength.

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Special to The Hays Daily News

Jana's Campaign and Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior-Senior High School is well underway with implementation of Coaching Boys into Men for TMP's junior and high school football teams, under lead direction of coach John Montgomery.

BIM, developed nationally by Futures Without Violence, aims to inspire men to teach boys the importance of respecting women and that violence never equals strength.

"It has been nothing short of amazing to watch the transformation in our young men in such a short period of time. This program has opened their eyes to their individual responsibility to bring an end to domestic violence and sexual assault," Montgomery saud. "These are messages they cannot hear enough."

Approximately one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner -- a figure that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth. One in five tweens -- age 11 to 14 -- said their friends are victims of dating violence and nearly half who are in relationships know friends who are verbally abused.

Athletic coaches play an extremely influential and unique role in the lives of young men, often serving as a parent or mentor to the boys they coach. Because of these relationships, coaches are poised to positively influence how young men think and behave both on, and off, the field.

"Although the CBIM program does make efforts to target potential and current abusers, the majority of the young men involved will never become abusive in their romantic relationships. However, all of the athletes will be confronted with life situations where they have the choice to intervene or to let violence happen," said Eric Sader, Jana's Campaign executive director. "CBIM exists to give these young men the tools and confidence to put a stop to actions they know are wrong, and to help change a culture where degrading talk of women is allowed to occur and ultimately foster violent acts."

Other regional schools considering implementation of the CBIM program include Logan and Plainville. For more on the program, email janascampaign@gmail.com or call (785) 656-0324.